GHOST 2: Usovich - From Plymouth to Angel's Camp and Back Again
On the morning of August 14, 1884 - E.L. Montgomery, Superintendent of the Plymouth Consolidated Mine, was informed that rock, laden with rich ore, was being secretly extracted from the Empire Mine by a group of miners. The Empire was one of the Plymouth mines merged to form the Consolidated. It was particularly profitable - with veins of rich placer running the whole length of Plymouth and beyond.
The informant, Mitchel Magud, volunteered to prove the truth of the statement by accompanying Superintendent Montgomery to the place where the rock was being crushed.
Mr. Montgomery, busy at the time, authorized W.T. Jones, the foreman, to investigate. Jones and Magud went to the gate of Nick Barinovich’s house. Magud told Jones that he could find the culprits in the cellar, but the cellar was empty.
The two scoured the property and finally found the men in an old shed. A man named Usovich was pounding rock, and another, named Claich, was sitting on a scantling, looking as if he had been hard at work.
The startled men dropped their tools.
Without issue, Jones took up some of the rock and asked Claich where it came from. Claich said he got it from Usovich. The latter claimed he got it from a man whose name he could not remember.
Jones instructed the men to leave everything where it was. He picked up samples of the ore and reported back to the Superintendent, who identified the rock as indeed ore from the Empire Mine. Mr. Montgomery subsequently had Claich, Usovich and Barinovich arrested – the latter being the proprietor of the house.
The balance of the rock in the shed was gathered and removed to a safe location. The implements for working the rock consisted of a large iron mortar, a big flat rock with a smaller one on top, a large rock mortar with pestle, iron collars, a kettle, an oven, a large wash tub, and a number of other articles. No one knows how long the three were high-grading gold. No other house in the area was searched.
The examination of the defendants was commenced on the 15th of August before Judge Blower. The case lasted for four days and ended with a sole article in the local paper.
Several years later the men resurface in Plymouth and tragically Angel’s Camp.
Living together, the three never left their house at the same time, but it was obvious they had money as they were seen buying watches here, spiffing up their wardrobe there – never anything too conspicuous so as not to set off any red flags. One morning, Usovich was gone. He skipped town. The buying stopped.
After a visit to Angels’ Camp by Claich, Usovich’s body was found at the 338 level of the Utica Mine morbidly propped in an upright position – held in place by a large log. The coroner declared the death an accident. Most mining deaths were. It was easier that way. Weeks after the trial, Claich disappeared.
The bulk of the high-graded gold was never recovered, but on nights when the moon is bright and long shadows dot the waving fields – a lone spirit, resembling Claich, can be seen searching the areas in the old mining camp where Usovich once lived.
If you are ever out, when the moon is high and the shadows seem to reach forever, head down Pacific Street, just north of the Plymouth Consolidated Mine landmark sign and to the field behind. Wait by the sign. For, when the coyote howl draughts through the Plymouth air you can catch a glimpse of a solitary
Most recently, cold spots have been reported near the Plymouth Consolidated Mine historical landmark sign. Follow these directions to the Plymouth Consolidated Landmark and feel the cold for yourself.
Comments
Post a Comment